


Resonat

by MissMaris



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Angst, Family, Gen, I go back and forth a lot with the idea that Luke may not want to train Rey, I just can't decide, Speculation, and then I think the movie will start with a montage of her training, rey is determined, so I wrote this
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-22
Updated: 2016-08-22
Packaged: 2018-08-10 08:09:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,262
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7837024
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissMaris/pseuds/MissMaris
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rey followed Luke all the way down the winding steps in total silence. The ex-scavenger was halfway between anger and utter disappointment. This man, who nearly everyone had put so high on a pedestal, who they had come so far to find, was turning her away after no more than a glance and a few words.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Resonat

In Rey's mind, Luke Skywalker was a giant of a man. Just as tall as Kylo Ren (or Ben Solo, though she preferred the term _monster_ ), if not taller, and three times as powerful. The Jedi-hopeful had listened to many stories, all of which fell under the 'Legend of Luke Skywalker' and his heroic deeds defeating the Galactic Empire. They had been a source of hope for her as she sat on the edge of nighttime bonfires, hidden in part by the shadows to keep herself safe, but still longing for the warmth of the fire that the scavengers crowded around. 

Han had made him seem more human, talking about not only his humble beginnings ("Just a whiny kid with stars in his eyes...Kinda like you, Big Deal." "Hey!"), while Leia recounted his compassionate heart, ("Luke was always trying to take care of everyone."). Still, Rey couldn't get the imposing image out of her mind.

After leaving the Resistance's base, she spent most of the flight between following the map's coordinates and preparing herself to not appear intimidated. Skywalker certainly wouldn't want to train a seemingly weak novice, years behind his last apprentice.

So, when Rey at last found him, standing on one of the tallest cliffs on the islands, she wasn't ready for the haunted, sad old man, wrapped in faded, tattered robes. As she held the lightsaber towards him, it was almost as if the entire Force pressed in on him, his shoulders slumping with the weight he carried. The air around him seemed to slow, as if trapped by his grief and despair.

But Rey held her ground. Who was she, after all, to even attempt to guess what was going on in--

Luke walked past her.

Rey blinked.

_What?_

 If there was one thing Rey knew how to recognize, it was a rejection. She felt herself being drawn back to that terrible moment of her childhood, the first thing she could remember:

_“Come back!"_

She had been powerless to stop her family from leaving her, powerless when Han was run through by his own son, but she would be damned if she would stand by this time. Shoving the lightsaber back in her pack, Rey hurried down the steps after him.

"Come back!"

Luke came up short, and Rey was so startled that she stopped in her tracks, only a few steps down the path. When he didn't seem to be going anywhere (or saying anything), Rey took a deep breath.

You're Luke Skywalker."

It wasn't a question. Luke didn't answer. Rey tried again.

"I know your sister, Leia Organa," a slight tilt of the head, "and I knew Han Solo." Tilt back. It seemed he already knew that bad news, so Rey decided to move forward. It was not something she wanted to talk about yet. She still couldn’t quite grasp her range of emotions on Han Solo’s horrific end, nor the anger-fueled power that had surged through her as she stood over his killer in the snow. She shook her head, and took a step down, "I'm--"

"I know...who you are." Rey sucked in a breath. "And... I can't help you. I'm sorry."

 

* * *

 

Rey followed Luke all the way down the winding steps in total silence. The ex-scavenger was halfway between boiling anger and utter disappointment. This man, who nearly everyone had put so high on a pedestal, who they had come so far to find, was turning her away after no more than a glance and a few words.

The Falcon was right where she'd left it, and as they approached, Chewie, followed by Artoo, came down the ramp, loud, happy noises coming from both. She was so focused on how to tell them the newest wave of terrible news, that their friend was a deserter, a recluse, a _coward_ -that she nearly walked straight into him.  


He was staring at the _Falcon_ , and, still not looking at her, he said, "They're waiting for you."

Rey felt herself prickle. _They're waiting for_ you _._

But, unsure of what to do, and feeling more than a little nudge from some unseen hand, she stepped carefully around the old man and trudged her way down the steps. As she grew closer, with no Luke in tow, Rey could hear the confusion in Chewie's roars, while Artoo's happy beeps became concerned inquiries. How was she going to tell them?

A breeze came up from the ocean, and Rey shivered a little. Though she wouldn't miss Jakku's dry heat, these sea-breezes were still very new to her. As she rounded the last few steps, Rey turned once more to stare up at Luke, who seemed far away as he gazed at the _Falcon_. The air seemed to shimmer around him, freeing up from his strange cocoon of energy, and Rey watched in wonder as, just for a moment, decades appeared to lift off him. 

Gray hair turned to bright blonde; dull eyes became bright, sky blue; his gray robes were replaced by crisp black ones. The lines and wrinkles on his face receded, and something pulled strongly at her. This younger version of Luke, who couldn't be more than a few years older than herself, turned to stare at her, smiling broadly. He reached out for her.

_Don't give up on me, Rey._

And then he was gone. The older Luke was back, an even more sorrowful look in his eyes, if that was possible. The buffer of energy that enveloped had returned as well, and Rey began to wonder if what she'd seen had been some sort of trick of her own emotionally-drained self. Perhaps everything she had been through was finally catching up with her. Maybe she was dehydrated, or needed food? 

She shook her head. That's what she would have thought if she was still on Jakku. But Rey was no longer there. Never again would she have to endure the days of empty an stomach and dry mouth like she had before. Rey no longer had to be alone.

 _Luke_ no longer had to be alone, either.

Turning to fully face him, Rey squared her shoulders, and she felt the wind whip around her.

"I know you don't believe that!" She cried, and for the first time, Luke looked completely startled. He turned to stare at her, eyes wide, and Rey could feel the crack forming in his shield. Before he could do or say anything else, she continued. "I don't know a lot about the Force, but I do know that I can feel... _things_ , in it, and I can feel the conflict within you." The air stilled once more around him, and she smiled. "And I'm not giving up on you."

Rey wasn't quite sure where the words had come from. They had been her own, but she could also hear the echo of a distant dispute, a battle of wills that had taken place sometime long ago. From the look on his face, Rey knew Luke had heard it, too. 

For just a moment, that young Luke was back, but now she could see the vision in the older version that stood before her. Somehow, she had reached through and ripped up whatever unconscious shield had been surrounding him for who knew how long. She felt a surge of triumph swell in her. 

Turning on her heel, Rey marched down the rest of the steps and into the _Falcon_. Chewie followed her, inquiring as to what exactly that had all been about. Rey smiled.

"Don't worry. We're not leaving without him."

 

**Author's Note:**

> Wow it's been a while! Things have been a bit crazy at work and with my own personal life, but I'm so happy to be back to writing! I started this on the plane when I was coming back from my first trip abroad, and they had TFA on the movie list so of course I watched it. I can never decide if Luke is going to go ahead and train Rey or if it's going to take some convincing to get him to come back with her, so I decided to take that muse and run with it. I think there will be about five chapters, so we'll see how it goes! Comments and critiques are always appreciated! 
> 
> Thank you for reading!


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